discretion age of discretion the age at which one is considered fit to manage one's affairs or take responsibility for one's actions; the phrase is recorded from the mid 19th century.
discretion is the better part of valour often used to explain caution, and sometimes with allusion to Shakespeare's 1 Henry IV (1597), ‘The better part of valour is discretion; in the which better part, I have saved my life.’ The saying is recorded from the late 16th century, and a similar thought is found in classical Greek, in The Suppliants of Euripides, ‘and bravery consists in foresight.’

dis·cre·tion / disˈkreshən/ • n. 1. the quality of behaving or speaking in such a way as to avoid causing offense or revealing private information: she knew she could rely on his discretion.2. the freedom to decide what should be done in a particular situation: it is up to local authorities to use their discretion in setting the charges a pass-fail grading system may be used at the discretion of the department.

Discretion

of priests: priests collectively —Bk. of St. Albans, 1486.